Eg. I am legend= Depressing, grim view of the probable future. Like a New York City version of 'Castaway' with a dog instead of a volleyball. Enchanted= Sweet, funny and sparkly. Best watched with a little kid, not a surly ex-boyfriend. Much of the charm due to Amy Adams superb turn as the princess (she should play Ariel in a live-action 'The Little Mermaid').
So, one film I have seen recently that is worth reccomending is 'Juno'. Written by stripper turned blogger Diablo Cody and directed by Jason Reitman, it stars Ellen Page from the creepy 'Candy' as Juno MacGuff, and Michael Cera from 'Superbad' as Paulie Bleeker. Other standouts include one of my faves, Allison Janney as Juno's stepmother, who puts a judgemental ultrasound technician in her place in one killer scene, and Olivia Thirlby as Juno's sweet and supportive cheerleader best-friend Leah.
The basic premise of the film is that after having sex with her best friend Bleeker, Juno discovers that she is pregnant. At first she considers an abortion but reconsiders after a schoolmate/anti-abortionist tells her that the baby has fingernails. So she decides to put the baby up for adoption, and after finding their ad in the local penny-saver, she meets the impossibly beautiful and self-contained Vanessa, played by Jennifer Garner, and Mark Loring, played by Jason Bateman and decides to give them her baby. As the months pass and her belly swells, Juno becomes aware of her true feelings about Bleeker, and she connects with Mark over their shared taste in music and movies, until he makes a revelation that leaves her reeling. But don't worry, the ending is very sweet.
'Juno' represents a very realistic view of teenage life, in which kids aren't fools and parents aren't monsters. Juno is smart, sassy, cool and confident. She is the girl you wish you were in high school, flawed but self-aware, mature but still trusting and open. When a Jock teases her, rather than feel bad about it, she is aware enough to know it's because guys like him lust after alternative girls like her: "future children's librarians". Ellen Page turns a character that could easily have become a victim, into a funny and strong girl on the verge of womanhood. One of the funniest quotes, (which might not sound funny, but it's all in the delivery) to paraphrase: "Inexplicably, every Valentine's day my mother would send me a cactus. They stung almost as much as her abandonment"
So if you want to see a funny, realistic portrayal of teenage life through the eyes of one special girls and her unique experience, see Juno.
No comments:
Post a Comment